Customer Reviews

Kinks

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3 star:		(2)
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After a couple of failed singles in the U.K. (included as bonus tracks on this Castle reissue), the Kinks unleashed their trademark sound on the classic "You Really Got Me" and helped launch thousands of garage bands across the country in the mid-sixties. [Let's face it, there was nothing terribly complex about their music, but it rocked!]

With the success of "You Really Got Me," the Kinks were rushed into the studio to record this, their first full length album. As such, fewer than half of the songs are Ray Davies originals. But among those are the classic "Stop Your Sobbin'" (from the original album release) and from among the generous 12 bonus tracks on this reissue are "All Day and All of the Night" and the should-have-been-hits "I Gotta Go Now" and "Things Are Getting Better."

The covers are typical of other R&B-influenced groups of the period like the Rolling Stones. The Kinks work through respectable versions of Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business" and "Beautiful Delilah," as well as bluesman Slim Harpo's "Got Love If You Want It."

The Castle reissues of the Kinks' first ten albums illustrate that the Beatles weren't the only British group to have their U.K. releases doctored before they reached these shores. Essentially what this Castle reissue amounts to is the Kinks' first two U.S. albums [You Really Got Me and Kinks-Size (minus "Tired of Waiting for You" and "Come on Now"--both on the Castle reissue Kina Kinks)] plus five bonus tracks.

Bonus tracks include the first two singles: a Little Richard cover of "Long Tall Sally" and Ray's "You Still Want Me" and the B-side "You Do Something to Me." Both singles failed to chart. Also included are "It's Alright" (the B-side of "You Really Got Me"), the previously unreleased "I Don't Need You Any More," and "I Took My Baby Home" (the B-side of "Long Tall Sally," which was included as one of the tracks on the original Kinks debut album in the U.K., but not released stateside prior to this reissue).

All of these songs were recorded in 1964. As such they reflect the freshness and exuberance of a band that would go on to become one of the most important bands of the rock 'n' roll era. RECOMMENDED

There are at least 3 versions of this album on Amazon. This is the one to get, because it has 12 bonus tracks. This is, in fact, the "UK Import". The one listed as the "UK Import" seems to be the US release which has only 2 bonus tracks. There's also a version available with no bonus tracks.

It is certainly not as essential as the later Kinks records ("Kontroversy", "Face to Face", "Something Else", "Village Green", and probably "Arthur" are musts)--but there's a lot of good stuff here. The 2 hits, plus "Louie Louie", "So Mystifying", "Revenge", "Stop Your Sobbing", and the unreleased version of "Monkey Business" come particularly to mind.

In 1964, probably the key year of the British Invasion, dozens of English bands dropped product on both sides of the Atlantic. Some of it was revolutionary but like any major movement in music, the mediocre was swept in with the exemplary. In October of this landmark year, a North London fourpiece led by a pair of brothers, Ray and Dave Davies, released their debut lp. The Kinks were unique in several ways from many of their contemporarties in that they were led by brothers and that elder brother, Ray, would prove to be one of rock greatest tunesmiths. What was ordinary about the band at the time was their rehash of R&B that everyone was doing. The Kinks were not as good at this as the Stones or the Yardbirds, masters of the form, so their legacy would live or die with their originals. It wasn't until their 3rd single "You Really Got Me", a true revolutionary piece of music, that the band would be formally recognized as not just another run of the mill "beat group". On 'The Kinks', "You Really Got Me" stood alongside such strong originals as "So Mystifying", "Just Can't Go to Sleep" and the classic early ballad "Stop Your Sobbin'". Both brothers handle the lead vocals on this record, with 17 year old Dave, screeching his way through "Beautiful Delilah" and three others. Again the blues and R&B covers are not that good, case in point, the Kinks' first single "Long Tall Sally" (included on this extended version)is pointless and would later be demolished by the Beatles' runthrough. 'The Kinks' is an interesting grab bag with subtle hints of future greatness but not the greatest debut for a rock legend. Four star rating for the expanded Castle version which includes "All Day and All of the Night" (another alltime classic originally released as a non-lp single), the b-sides to both "Night" ("I Gotta Move")and "Got Me"("It's Alright") and the first Kinks ep. Otherwise you may be unsatisfied with debut on its own with only "You Really Got Me" and "Stop Your Sobbin'" as truly memorable. Better days lay ahead for the brothers from Muswell Hill.

What else can I say? The kinks came bursting throught the door and completely redefined garage rock with blazing singles like "You Really Got Me" (a proto-punk anthem covered by practically every late 70's punk band)and Stop Your Sobbing (which gained real success in the 80's as a Pretender's cover. Plus we can't forget the stripped down R&B covers such as, "Beautiful Delilah" and "I've been driving on a bald headed mountain.

This album probably isn't worth 5-stars, but when you look back and compare it to other albums being released, you know that the Kinks were the best of their of their. The band would continue to grow and grow leaving us with legacy unlike no other.

This same album is available at amazon.co.uk for normal, a low CD price, so go over there and get it! I'll be honest here. The first Kinks album is not a great album. If they had never recorded anything else then the group would be remembered only by "You Really Got Me", "Stop Your Sobbing" (only because it was covered by the Pretenders) and "All Day and All of the Night" which isn't even on the first album. HOWEVER and this is big... the Castle/Sanctuary reissue has 12 bonus tracks for a total of 26 tracks, containing lots of non-album single tracks which are WAY better than the album tracks. Among these include "All Day and All of the Night" and many others. So, I suggest buying it because you get a CD's worth of great songs and the original album, which if nothing else has a few good songs in the Beatles/Stones vein and is good for historical perspective.

I find very fair and useful the user reviews of this "version" of the Kinks' first album. I'm no reviewer worth wasting your time with, but I do have an important question for the legions of Kinks' fans who are better informed than I : I've read that Jimmy Page -- at that point still doing session guitar work-- played on 5 songs on the first Kinks' album, and although I was and still am a big fan of Dave Davies, I sure would like to know which songs Page played on. Anyone know the answer? Many thanks !

The good old English invasion! I loved the CD! In great shape too.

This is a great place to start if you're new to the Kinks. While it's not their greatest album (see Arthur and Village Green) it is a necessary buy in order to fully appreciate this band. Now I'm a completest and I fully believe everything the Kinks put out from 1964-1971 (Kinks thru Muswell) are must have. This album has the two mega hits that redefined rock n' roll "All Day and All of the Night" & " You Really Got Me". While these are ultimatly the best tracks on the album, there are many other gems on here you would not get by simply purchasing a Singles or Greatest Hits collection. If you have the means, you should pick up the package "3 Classic Albums" which includes this one, Kinda Kinks, and Kontroversy. It's a huge task to listen to all three albums and disect them (70 some odd songs), but well worth the listen(s).

This album -- their first album -- is, in my opinion, essential for any lover of 60's punk/rock and roll. The Kinks were a wonderful poprock band that had a bit more edge than The Beatles. Their music mainly consisted of slightly overdriven guitars, primitive drumming, fine adaptive bass lines, and vocals that are less confined than other bands of this era and more energetic. Yet I must warn you, this is not exclusively the "harder" material by The Kinks. While you'll get rockers like "All Day And All Of The Night", you will find that most of the songs are more melodic and even hillbilly-ish. The Kinks did a fine job at not only early hard rock/punk music, but also rockabilly and poprock music. Still, in the end, I find this album quite satisfying. Within time, there will be few songs you'll skip while jammin' out to these somehow missed 60's tunes by the band that was equally under rated, The Kinks.

To me, this record is undisputedly classic. The production, the music, the attitude, everything is just right on the money making me want to listen through even the mediocre songs. Why doesn't everybody just love this stuff? listen to "took my baby home" if thats the real title.